Camera and 3D Printer to Duplicate Master Keys

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admin-2 /Sep 12, 2014

当我们享受着 3D 打印带来的各种便利时，也要小心啦，还有很多掌握 3D 打印技术的“坏人 ” 们正垂涎三尺的看着你哦。
While we enjoy the convenience brought by 3D printing, we must notice that the 3D printing technology also brings convenience to “criminals”.

As reported by Wired, two engineers abroad, Jos Weyers and Christian Holler, have managed to 3D-print a master key can open the most locks even without the original key using the simplest and effective unlocking method (unlocking with bump key).

Jos Weyers and Christian Holler developed a software named Photobump to build 3D models with information such as keyhole structure; with the models, bump keys can be printed out by 3D printer, then inserted into locks and hit by hammers to open the locks. It is said that any bump keys can be printed out with photos and depth of corresponding key holes. Even without an high quality 3D printer, users can also utilize 3D printing service such as Shapeways or i.Materialise to print out bump keys.

We may feel bad when hearing this news, because it sounds very dangerous. But fortunately, Jos Weyers and Christian Holler have no plan to release Photobump and they only intend to alert lock manufacturers for this. As the 3D printing era comes, any person can afford to a 3D printer or enjoy 3D printing services and some processes once being difficult, such fabricating a bump key, becomes easier. The technology is always a double-edged sword and many times, we can only pin our hopes on those owning it to use it for benefits of people.

From: The 36Kr
Translated by Steve, CCJK Technologies Co.,Ltd.
In case of any mistakes, queries or advice, please send emails to judy.zhang@ccjk.com. Many thanks!